Fox tales
by D3m0n1cAn63l
Summary: Kira is a fox, born in a zoo. As a kid she dreams of hunting and freedom, but as she grows older her dreams fade away. Until the day the flat-faces come to get her. They set her free in a large forrest, where she meets other foxes and a whole clan of them...
1. Chapter 1

Fox tales

„Sky!", a voice called. „Come back!" I ran after the white rabbit and nearly caught it. „Sky! Don´t! That´s the wrong way!", the voice called behind me. „I´ll be right back. I nearly have it!", I anwered breathing heavily. „This is not the place to hunt!" The voice called. I ignored it. I followed the rabbit into a bush and jumped. Then I fell. „_Skyyyyyyy_!" The last thing I heard was the voice calling for me from far above as I fell into the dark.

I woke up, wet from the sweat soaking my fur. „Kira, are you awake?" , Luka called for me from the outside. Luka was my best friend. He and I were foxes born in this zoo. I was lying in the cage inside a flat-face building. Next cage was the old tigers cage, but he seemed to be sleeping. I lived with my mother, my uncle, my aunt and luka and his parents. We were all born in this zoo. Only the elder was born in the outsideworld. He always told me stories about out there. I always loved listening to them.

I stood up and walked outside. The flat-faces were already there, starring at us from behind a wall. "Kira, you look terrible. Did you have a strange dream again?" Luka looked worried. „I´m fine, don´t worry. But I feel like I´m starving, are there some rabbits around?" Luka looked at me with a stange expression. „Kira, are you really alright? We get our food from the flat-faces. We don´t hunt.", he said with a serious expression. „He is right, Kira. You should stop listening to the elders stories all the time, then those silly dreams will stop as well.", my mother commented, comming closer from the river, flowing near the wall. „But mom. There´s a whole different world out there. A world without walls, a world without flat-faces starring at us the whole day. A world that we can be free in. Isn´t that great? I want to go there some day..." „Kira, that...", Luka tried to say, but my mother interupted him: „That great world of yours is full of monsters! There are bears and flatfaces killing you for your pelt. The nights are cold, you have to catch your food by yourself and if there is no prey, you starve! That world is dangerous! Don´t even think about going there!", she cried at me. I tried to say something, but she interupted me: „And I don´t want you to talk to the elder anymore." She walked back to where she came from. „But I feel like that world is calling for me..." I wispered, when she was too far away to hear it. „I don´t belong here." „What are you saying? You are a fox just like the rest of us. You do belong here, just like me or our parents." Luka said, sitting next to me, looking even more worried than before. „We will always be here, play together, find new friends. This world is great. I mean, we never have to starve, we have a nice warm cave and no monsters attacking us. You shouldn´t wish to be anywhere else..." „Alright, alright... I won´t have the chance to leave this place anyways." I answered, annoyed by his enthusiasm.

At that time Luka and I were five moons old.

Only one moon later the flat-faces came to get Luka...

We here playing hunt. Luka didn´t like that game but I loved it. It was lukas turn as the rabbit, I was the hunter. Luka ran away, changing his direction frequently, just as the elder had described a rabbits behavior. I ran after hin, trying to catch him from behind.

Just as I was behind him, I saw something hitting luka´s side. He tripped and I ran right into him. I stood up quickly, asking „Are you ok?" Luka was trying to get up, pulling his leg in a strange way. „What is it? Too tired to get up?" I asked playfully, not realizing that he had real trouble getting up. He looked at me with a fearful glace and then fell to the ground, not moving anymore. „Luka?..." I asked carefully, then screaming louder: „LUKA, get up!" He didn´t react. There was something sticking to his fur. It was pink and fluffy at the end and had an eye-stinging smell. It was what we called flying sleep.

I tried to pull it out, as a few flat-faces steped inside our territory. They were coming close fast, stamping in the ground, making strange noises, as they were trying to calm me. I turned around, growling at them. I noticed my mother hiding in a bush. She was affraid. But _I _wouldn´t back down without a fight. They wouln´t get Luka that easily...

The flat-faces stopped. One of them stepped closer, still making those strange noises. As it reached out to me, I bit in it´s strange paw. Making a yelling noise of pain, it pulled back it´s paw. Then another flat-face grabed me, more agressive than the first one. I tried to bite it, but it´s skin was strangely thick, tasting like mud and smelling of fear. The flat-face carried me to the cave, threw me inside and closed the entrance. I was trapped... I tried to get out at all cost, calling for help, until my voice was gone...

When the entrance finally opened I ran outside, calling for Luka, searching for him everywhere. But he was gone. And he never returned...

A few weeks later the elder assumed, that luka might have died in the blood room. Old and sick animals were taken there by the flat-faces. Some of them were cured, but some never returned.

They had taken my best friend and when I was nine moons old they came for me...


	2. Chapter 2

It was a normal beginning of a day. I woke up late in the morning and trotted towards the foodplace. Everything seemed dull and boring since the day they stole my best friend. There was noone to wake me in the morning, noone who would play hunt with me. I missed him quite a lot...

I was eating the old meat the flat-faces had brought us early in the morning. It tasted awfully dry and dull. I noticed a movement from the corner of my eye, then I suddenly felt a singing pain in my hindleg. I tried to run, but my leggs were feeling heavy. I couldn´t move, could barely even keep myself standing. I noticed a flat-face coming towards me. „Keep calm.", my mother said, watching the situation from a safe distance. „They just want to check, if you are alright. They won´t hurt you." But I didn´t trust them. I wouldn´t give up without a good fight. I felt very sleepy. The flat-face came closer to grab me. I bit it as hard as I could. It made a strange sound and pulled its bleeding paw away. I looked into its eyes with all hatred I could bring up. They should know that I would never give in to them, no matter what. They were the ones to steal my best friend. They were the ones to make me lonely. They were the ones to ruin my life.

My thoughts started cirkling, I couldn´t concentrate anymore. I noticed the flat-face reaching out to me again, but I felt too dizzy to move...

Everything went black...

„_Skyy! Where are you?", I heard a voice call in far distance. It was searching for me..._

_The vioce faded away and I woke up._

I was in a big room without anything natural. I sat on a cold platform. The room smelled of blood and fear. So this would be my end? I saw flat-faces around me, communicating calmly in their strange noises. They were doing something to me, but I was too dizzy to notice, what they did. One of them looked at a me more closely, a blending light crossed my sight. Then I felt a sting again and faded back into the darkness.

The next time I awakened I found myself in a small box. It was swinging back and forth and outside I heard flat-faces talking. I felt dizzy and was afraid like hell. What were they going to do to me? I tryed to free myself, but the box was too well built to break it. „Let me out of here!" I commanded, but of course the flat-faces didn´t react. They knew I was too weak to harm them and inside this box I wasn´t able to do anything else than waiting. The box cept on swinging. I tried to keep myself calm and waited for an opportunity to free myself and run. I didn´t have to wait very long when I felt a hard shaking of the box and the swinging stopped. I prepared to break free as soon as they opened the box. The wall in front of me slid to the side and I ran forward as fast as I could, ready to dodge paws that might want to grab me. The flat-faces didn´t even try to stop me... After I had hid inside the next bush they took the box that they had carried me in and left. I just sat in that bush, trying not to make any noise until I couldn´t hear their stomping anymore. After they had left I relaxed a bit. I thought about what to do next. Should I go on hiding or should I take a look around? Finally I came out of the bush, very careful, and looked around. I couldn´t make out any walls. I didn´t hear any flat-faces around. Where was I? There were sounds of several birds and small animals nearby. I was in something that the elder called forrest. A territory with any trees, with bushes and all kinds of different plants. I heard a small river flowing nearby. Hearing that sound, I noticed that I was quite thirsty. Driven by the sound of flowing water I went to the river. After drinking the cooling water I felt better right away. But I still felt dizzy and sleepy, so I dug a little pit under a bush. As I layed down I thought about all the questions that were spooking in my head. Where was I? Could this really be the outside world? Why did the flat-faces bring me here? Did this happen to Luka, too? Could he still be alive? I would have to find the answers to those questions later. I fell asleep fast while trying to figure out how to find the answeres to all my questions...


	3. Chapter 3

A noise in a nearby bush woke me up. Something was breaking its branches. I listened carefully, trying not to make any noises myself. It seemed to be something small. If I listened hard I could hear its little heart beating. I snuffled. It smelled like nothing I smelled before, but it smelled good. I stood up, still trying not to make any noise. I sneaked out of my bush and towards the sounds. This was like in one of my dreams. But this time I was sure I´d catch it, I wouln´t fall this time. I was ready to jump, as I heard another noise. Something was running towards me. Something bigger than a me. It smelled like a fox, but different from the ones I knew from home. The elder had told me, that intruding another foxes territory would end into a fight. I stood up and ran. I had to get as far away from that nearing noise as possible, but the other fox was faster than me. I didn´t get far. I heard the other fox getting closer behind me. I wouln´t get away, so I turned arouned, ready to fight. The fox jumped towards me, trying to bite my neck. I ducked and jumped into the next bush. The fox tried to follow me, but I turned around and caught him flying. I pressed him down to the ground, ready to bite his throat if he moved. This was like a great dream coming true. Even though I knew this was nothing to be happy about, I was exited for being able to have a real fight. But I didn´t want to kill the other fox and I knew he wouldn´t hesitate to kill me if I let go now.

„Will you listen to me, if I let go?" I asked, trying to catch my breath, keeping my teeth near his throat, ready to kill him if needed. „You´re an intruder! I´d rather die in this fight, than giving up to you." he answered with a glace full of defiance. „Where did you come from? You don´t smell like a member of the clans that live around here."

Before I could answer another fox jumped out of a bush. He caught me off guard. I hadn´t heard him come closer. He pushed me, forcing me to let go of his mate. „What do you think you´re doing, picking up a fight on your own?" he scolded the fox I fought with. „And you." he turned towards me. „Where are you from? You smell like those flat-faces, that wandered around in our territory lately." I ducked to show that I had no intention of fighting him. „They brought me here. I didn´t intend to intrude your territory." I said carefully. „She was hunting in our territory! She definetly was. I saw it!" , the fox I had met first said. I looked at him closer. He seemed about my age, maby a little younger. He had grey fur his the tips of his ears were black and the tip of his tail was white. He seemed stronger than me, but not as agile. His fur was longer than mine, thicker. „Is that true?" The other, elder looking fox said. His fur was brownish red and white. The had black ear tips, too. „I was so hungry..." I answered regetfully. „I didn´t want to steal anything... I would have taken just a few of those little animals..." The grey fox stared at me with a triumphant glace. I really begann to regret I didn´t rip off his ear. „We need all prey we find in this territory. You can´t just hunt here." The elder fox said with a strict glace. „I´m sorry, I didn´t know that..." I answered, trying to seem as small as possible. „Anyways, you gave young Greystream a pretty good fight there. I´m impressed." The red fox said. „Th- Thank you..." I said, surprised by the compliment. „She was cheating! If she wouldn´t have run I would have won!" Greystream tried to defend looked quite offended. I couldn´t keep myself from smirking at him. „In a real fight there is no cheating. She was using her agility to compensate your strenth." the elder fox answered, then he turned towards me again. „My name is Rustpelt. I am Greysteams tutor. I´d like to offer you a training as a warrior in our clan." „Really? I can join your clan?" I asked, not believing in my luck. „Of course I have to ask Starenvoy fist. He is our leader." Rustpelt said thoughtfully. Greystream looked really pissed now. I ignored his dareful glaces. „That would be great. I would love to join your clan!" I answered enthusiastically. „For the time being you will have to leave our territory though. Go that way." He pointed me a direction. „You will find an old flat-face hideout. You can hunt there. I will talk to Starenvoy and will come to you to tell you, what he decided. But if you are not allowed to join, you have to leave this area and never return." „Yes sir..." I answered and started moving the direction he pointed out to. I felt hungrier than ever before, so I started running. Soon I felt that I didn´t have much stamina. My whole body started feeling waek after a short run and I had to move slower, catching for breath soon. When I finally had reached the human hideout I used my last strength to catch a small animal. It tasted better than anything that I ever ate before. The flesh was warm and fresh. After catching another two of them I layed down in some straw and fell asleep fast. That night I was dreaming of catching animals and fighting in a clan. It was great. But how long would my dreams keep becoming true? What if my nightmares started becomeing true soon?...


	4. Chapter 4

A loud growling woke me up. It was early morning and the sun was just beginning to rise. In front of me stood a strange fox. Its eyes were unusually green, it has way too long legs, its tail was not fluffy at all and its face looked like the fox ran into a wall. „What kind of fox are you?" I asked curiously. Instead of answering, the fox bowed its back in a quiet unnatural looking way and made a strange hissing noise. „What´s with that behavior? Are you hurt or something? Why don´t you answere me?" I asked. I was getting annoyed. It could at least say something... „Get lost! This is my territory!" it sceamed at me in a piecing voice. It was talking cat. The old tiger in the neighbouring cage back at home had taught me cat, but why would a fox in the forest use it? Its accent sounded quiet different from the tigers, too. „Why do you talk cat? What does a fox in the forest need it for?" I asked in cat. „Fox?! I´m no filthy DOG, I´m a CAT! How dare you call me a fox? I´m a mighty warroir of the Thunder Clan. Well I was..." She declared in her piercing voice. ´That would explain her strange looks´ I thought. But she didn´t look like a cat. The tiger taught me, that there were different races of cats: loins, tigers, leopards and pumas. But they were all way bigger than a fox. I explained my thoughts to her. „WHAT?!" the cat started screaming again. „What do you know?! If you don´t get lost right away, I´ll rip you open!" She made that hissing noise again, coming closer slowly. I backed down „Okey, okey, I´ll leave." Cats has really sharp claws. Noone a fox would want for an enemy. I left the hideout and lay down under a big tree.

After a while the cat came out of the hideout, trying to catch one of those small animals, I caught earlier. „What are those called?" I asked the cat curiously. It twitched and the small animal escaped into a hole. „That was a mouse. My breakfest by the way. And it escaped, because of you. Are you stupid? You don´t even know the name of the animals that live here. You´re really stupid, ain´t you?" she accused me. „Well... it is my first day in the woods... I´ve never seen a mouse before." I anwered, not letting her words anger me. „What is your name by the way? I can´t call you cat forever." She looked at me, as if she was not certain if she could trust me, but finally said: „Well... since you´re the first talking fox I met, I might tell you my name. I am Silverclaw." she said proudly. The name fit her. Her grey fur was shining almost silver in the sun. „Now you have to tell me your name, too." she commanded. My name... My name didn´t fit the woods at all. It was a name given to me by the flat-faces. I had to think of a better one... Suddenly I remembered being called „Sky" in my dreams. „Skystream, that´s my name." I answered. „Skystream? Well, with that white fur you look more like a snowball. I´ll call you Snowball from now on." Silverclaw said in a voice that wouln´t let me complain. „Well, see you Snowball. I have to move on." She said and vanished into the bushes before I could answer. That was sure a stange meeting, I thought.


	5. Chapter 5

As the sun started to set I started to worry. It took them more than a day to return and tell me how starendow had decided.I wondered if something had happened to them.

The weather was changing. Clouds came up and a strong wind started to blow. The wind came from he clans territory. I took a deep breath, enjoying the cool breeze. It smelled strangely though... It took a moment for me to realize that I smelled blood. A lot of blood. I stood up instandly and started running towards the source of that smell. What could have happened? What should I do? I knew I was not allowed to enter the clans territory before Rustpelt came to get me, but I had to help them, if something had happened. With the smell becoming stonger I started hearing screams of foxes. Fighting noises. Were they fighting each other? Why?

I passed the last bush and stopped in horror. I stood at the edge of a great field. All over that field were foxes fighting each other. They were fighting with hatred in their eyes, ignoring their heavy wounds, only wishing for their enemies to die. _Why?_ A nearby fox noticed me. He atacked me without any warning or any reason. _Why?_ I moved without thinking, dodging her attack, turning around and jumping onto her back and pressing her down. „Why? Why are you fighting? Why are you attacking each other? What is happaning here?!" I screamed at her. „What are you doing?!" Instead of answering she growled at me, her glace ful of hatred and bloodlust. If I let go of her she would definetly kill me. There was no peacceful solution to this. I bit her in the neck, killing her instantly, painlessly... _Why?_

„NOOOO!" A scream rose above the fighting noises. I knew that voice. It came from a nearby position. I looked around until I found Greystream standing in front of a redish bown body, that was lying motionless on the ground. He growled at an elderly, badly hurt looking fox. Thears were gathering in his eyes. I finally realized that that body behind Greystream was Rustpelt. It had to be.

He was dead. Killed by that elderly fox. _Why?_ The elderly fox was smirking at Greystream, challenging him. I felt a sudden urge to kill that fox. But it was for Greystreams honor to kill him. As I watched greaystream attacking the smirking fox I noticed another fox approaching Greystream from behind. I started running without thinking, dodgig fighting foxes. As I reached Greystream I jumped and cought the attacking fox in mid air. As we hit the ground I roled around and jumped onto tha foxes back and bit his neck before he realized what had just happened. I watched his eyes going blank. He sank to the ground.

A victorious scream echoed through the field. All foxes stopped fighting, looking at a spot somewhere in the middle of the field. „Withdraw!" shouted a loud male voice. Greystream started moving towards the edge of the field, following other foxes. „Move it!" he said to me as he passed me. Two other foxes picked up Rustpelts body and carried it away. I followed Greystream. He would have to explain a lot to me later. I had killed two foxes today. It started raining, washing their blood off my white fur...

Red marks on white fur. The marks of murder...


End file.
